Passover: Some History, Stories and Recipes

ENGLISH CORNER, CON LINDA JIMÉNEZ – Our trivia question for this week is: When and where was the first Haggadah written?

This week we’re bringing you a special Passover program, with something for everyone. First, we will speak a little about the history of the Passover Haggadah. Then I will read you two very short Passover stories and, finally, I’ll give you two of my very favorite Passover recipes, one savory and one VERY sweet. CHAG SAMEACH! HAPPY HOLIDAY!

RECIPES

MATZO KUGEL
This is a savory pudding that’s delicious with chicken or beef gravy.

Ingredientes:5 matzas
about a cup of water
two onions
3 eggs
a pinch of pepper
1 teaspoon of sugar
a chicken bouillon cube (the size you would use to make 2 cups of broth)
a little oil

Chop the onions and fry them in the oil until they’re soft, but not too brown. Mash in the bouillon cube. Soak the matza in the water and drain it, but not too dry. Beat the eggs and mix them with the matza and onion mixture. Add the pepper and sugar and mix it lightly.

Grease a 2-quart baking dish and pour in the mixture. Bake it at 350º Fahrenheit (180º Celsius) for about 45 minutes, or until the top is brown. This recipe will serve six.

LE NEGRE (Chocolate dessert)
This is probably the most delicious chocolate dessert I have ever tasted. It’s a little tricky, but it only uses four ingredients.

Melt the chocolate and butter over medium heat, stirring to make sure the chocolate doesn’t burn, or use a double boiler. (You can also melt the chocolate in the microwave.) Let it cool.
In a medium-sized bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form; add 1/2 cup of the sugar and continue beating until the peaks are stiff.

In a smaller bowl, beat the yolks with the remaining half cup of sugar until it is thick, pale in color and twice the original volume. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and mix it thoroughly.

Now comes the tricky part. Fold the chocolate-egg yolk mixture into the egg whites, being very careful not to stir it, so as not to release the air that you’ve beaten into the whites.

Pour it into a greased 9-inch (or 23 centimeter) springform pan, and bake it at 325º Fahrenheit (160º Celsius) about 30-35 minutes, until a crust forms on top, the top is slightly brown, and it starts to pull away from the edges of the pan.

Let it cool before serving it, but don’t put it into the refrigerator. Enjoy!